title: Bone scans with one or two new abnormalities in cancer patients with no known metastases: reliability of interpretation of initial correlative radiographs.
abstract: To determine the reliability of radiographs obtained for correlation with bone scans showing one or two new abnormalities in cancer patients without known metastases, a retrospective study of 306 scans showing such lesions was performed. Overall, 14% of the lesions proved to be malignant. The initial radiographic interpretation was normal for 43% of the new bone scan lesions; 17% of these lesions were metastases. A benign process was identified on radiographs for 38% of the abnormalities; only one (1%) was a metastasis. Twelve percent of new bone scan lesions correlated with radiographic abnormalities considered either suggestive of or consistent with metastasis, of which 24% and 71%, respectively, proved to be metastases. In cancer patients with one or two new bone scan abnormalities, correlative radiographs showing a benign abnormality are reliable. However, if the radiographs are either normal or show findings considered suggestive of or consistent with metastasis, further evaluation or follow-up is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Stomper
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies